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Gary Barlow has revealed he's not spoken to Simon Cowell in the three years since he left The X Factor.

It comes as the Take That star prepares to launch his own singing talent show, Let It Shine.

The series will air on Saturday nights on BBC One, understood to be a replacement for The Voice UK which has moved on ITV.

However there have been reports that Let It Shine could find itself fending off legal challenges over its similarities to Simon's talent shows.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Gary said: "I haven’t spoken to him since I left X Factor three years ago. My show’s totally separate.”

Let It Shine was announced last month and will see Gary and other judges search for performers for a new musical featuring the songs of Take That.

It's been claimed that concerns have been raised that the format could be similar to both The X Factor as well as Simon's more recent South American show La Banda (The Band).

"Simon’s team is keeping a close eye on Gary’s show," a source told the Daily Mirror last weekend. "They want to make sure that it’s completely different to his own projects – otherwise there could be trouble."

The insider continued: "As the trailblazer in the TV talent show sector, it’s no surprise Cowell wants to protect his brand.

"He keeps an eye on all the developments in the industry as they could impact on his business.”

A source 'close to Simon' added to the tabloid: Like all successful TV companies, Simon’s team identify what factors make any new shows different and what is intellectual property and copyright. This is normal practice.”

However a spokesperson for BBC responded in a statement to Digital Spy: "Let It Shine is an original format owned by BBC Studios and produced by their world-leading entertainment team.